way better than SF2 or Xfiles

300 of them made. I have a pretty decent collection and play this pin a lot its fast flow is good not super difficult rule set its just fun. It does get played a lot. It is like a brand new version of the 80's williams type games. I honestly do not think i would ever part with mine. It does come pretty basic and you have to purchase lots of mods to make it look really good.

I own three Spooky Pins....ACNC, AMH and RZLE #4. And I would rate them in that order. Which goes to show you, play the game before making snap judgments or following group think. I say this, because once upon a time, I panned ACNC, and didn't pre-order. Much of my decision was due to the early release videos, the poor quality of those videos, and from what I thought at the time (out of context), a very stale performance by AC. Time goes by, I happen upon a good deal for ACNC, and take the chance. It is now my favorite pin, right next to Elvira HoH, and I eat my own words.

As for RZLE, I have admittedly mixed feelings, and have many times voiced those feelings here on Pinside. While the game has fantastic artwork, music and callouts, the layout isn't traditional. I can deal with the latter, and it offers a good mix in a medium size collection. However, I still have a feeling of incompleteness with this game. Features that were promised in the promo were left out (gave up on, I feel), and the whole debacle with the Fawzma apron (admittedly, not Charlie's fault directly, but still a reflection on the game). And what's maddening, is that the complaints seem to be ignored. We've heard vague promises over the years of completed code, but once Fawzma was pulled for ACNC, RZ was left twisting in the wind with no revisit since to my knowledge.

I agree the game definitely needs a final polish... not sure why that can't squeeze off one more update. It;s a great license and there's no reason to let it languish among the worst games ever.

Good example would be Dragula. Complete the ramps, then you get a timer to make left orbit for video mode or right orbit for multiball. Except that if you run out of time, you get the multiball for free anyway, so why risk shooting anything? Trap up and wait. Changing this to award nothing on a time-out would be a simple fix. Demonoid needs a way to spot the impossible-to-hit purple target. Charlie mentioned back in the day the tons of callouts they have recorded but not used yet; are they all implemented now? I'm not hearing much new stuff over the last couple updates.

I too just trap up and wait for the multiball. I never go for the video mode as it doesn’t seem all that valuable nor much fun.

I brought up to Charlie a few months ago that during the timer after you complete Dracula the right ramp should allow you to build the multiball. I think it it two ball by default but for each successful right orbit you make prior to the start it should add a ball. So you hit the right orbit twice during the timer you now have a 4 ball vice a 2 ball multiball.

I do really like what they did with super beast multiball with a mix of ramp shots for jackpots and hitting the drop target for additional scoring.

Agreed that they need to do a huge update in the call outs if they exist. I’ve been asking for the “Jack F*cking pot” call out for years which they have something very similar as I’ve heard it but it hasn’t been done.

The apron mod needs completed too! A lot of features were promised in it but it’s basically just an expensive extension of the DMD with no added features. I’d love to buy one if Fawzma would ever finish coding it and produce more.

Finally got mine. To answer the OP: No, it really isn't bad. To the contrary: Fast and fun. On the other hand, i can't get over how terrible the toys are. Who designed and approved these? Good jesus. Captain Spaulding on the upper playfield looks like a cheap, fake knockoff drawn by a first grader. If only Spooky got Medisinyl to design these toys... Sid deserved better.

I've still have my RZ. I like it. I also have 14 other pins in my collection, so it is a good addition to the variety. There is no other modern pin quite like it.

You have to be able to find the left orbit shot to start a mode.... Once you have that shot dialed in, you are good to go. The modes range from easy to VERY difficult. Music and call-outs are well integrated. It's definitely got that "1 more game" feel.

The down side is that the game is DARK. I fixed it by adding some spots and well hidden dimmable LED strip on the apron (can't see them while playing).

A lot of people don't like this game because it is not a fan layout and the slings cause more lateral movement and it makes people uncomfortable. Because of this, I like playing it in competition to see a lesser player kick butt over a much better player who is used to Sterns with safe shots.

Kinda wonder why people have an obsession with saying games are dark. AMH gets the same flak. I have owned two RZ's and maybe someday a third, never had a problem seeing the ball.

On the other hand when I go to play other people's games they are blinding. Brightest led bulbs you can buy, led flashers, and then they throw that pinstadium crap ontop of it.

How did people play games before the mid 2000s? How do they manage on older ss and ems that are spotlit from all angles?

I think it depends a lot on the ambient lighting in the room. My gameroom is well lit, and darker games can still be played just fine since the room lighting lets you see the ball.

Many people, however, keep the room dimly lit, and playing becomes a problem. I've owned RZ, and I've played it in a more dimly lit gameroom. Without the ambient light, it does get difficult to play.

I played it on location, and yes, it was that bad.

Did you only play it on location and for how long? If you just played a couple of games, I don’t think you gave it a fair shot. Like a poster said above, you have to be able to hit the left orbit. Were you aware that you needed to make that shot when you played it? If so, did you have a problem hitting that shot?

Lots of factors. Are your game room lights on or off? If off, it doesn’t really matter until you get to games that used a lot of flashing effects (data East). Games that used the GI for flashing effects in a completely dark room make it very hard to track the ball when the flashing effects are going.

Try playing a GOT premium on stock brightness in a dark room. Literally impossible to see during some of those moments.

Old games are no problem since it’s just GI always on. No flashing effects.

Once you introduce that strong on off contrast in a dark environment, it’s hard to track the ball.

This is why my game room lights are always on with some rare exceptions.

A friend has one and I do enjoy playing it when over there. One time I think that was the only game I played for 45 min straight.

But, I wouldn't want to own one. And yeah, the playfield colors are too dark. Gottlieb made the same mistake with Big Hurt.

OK,well.this is another example of "likes"and "dislikes"My RZ gets plenty of play when friends come by!! They "like" the adult version, cause its different than all the rest!!If your offended, then definitely stay away!!Mine is fully modded and plays fine!If you don't "like"the PF.then don't play it!! If your not a fan, then go somewhere else to post your opinion!!!

You know this isn't the owners thread, right? It's a thread to discuss your opinion of the game. Where else should someone go?

Still enjoying mine.

4E457E53-6605-4DE7-BB19-5F5E15430DA6 (resized).jpeg

As long as it’s an honest opinion, I think everyone should be free to express that opinion in any thread. That’s what this is all about.

I can see that AMH right next to your RZ. I’m jealous. Never had the opportunity to play one, but hope to get the chance one of these days.

Looks really good. Definitely needs the pinstadium lighting.

I got in on RZ at the very beginning. Needing to decide on my pre-order and the $500 LE upgrade before the game was shown or any LE details were given should have been a red flag. I mostly stopped playing it after 2 days of having it setup. It would be fun again for a minute after code updates, but some features were even removed along the way due to bugs. I eventually gave up and moved it on. The toys don't do anything. It's almost entirely made up of off-the-shelf spot targets and slings, which I just don't find all that fun to shoot. Pin space is too valuable.

Dwight has gone hog wild in the LED era. First time I played TMNT was in a dark garage. After every made shot, where the hell is the ball? You can tell those lighting effects are coded in a well-lit office with no thought to playability in typical arcade-like conditions.

The light shows are awesome, I just need to decrease the brightness to like 30-40% haha

I would have liked Rob Zombie more if Ben Heck did the code.

You might not be so jealous after playing.

What's the brightness level on a typical arcade these days? I only go to a couple and they have all the lights on, like my whole life.

The ones I recall from childhood were a dark, cool respite from a hot summer day. Could just be the foggy haze of nostalgia though.

Chicago barcades are definitely on the dim side. Logan has pinstadiums on games like TAF. Bars have to be dark enough that people know it's time to leave when you turn the lights on.

Most large private collections I frequent have dim lighting. All I know is that Dwight's lightshows are murder on my retinas.

Arcades I went to didn’t have an ambient bulb on in the house.

They are better lit now, but most bars have pretty dim lighting at best.

Michigan; home of the Georgia rueben, Chapati, & well lit arcades .
Noted.

Obviously bars are dark but you said arcades so I didn't know which way you were going.

Counterpoint: I've played it (don't think there were any mods on the machine) on location several times and couldn't stop dropping quarters!

I found it to be unique, difficult, and feature lots of goodies that require one to really think and play WELL in order to unleash (such as the video mode, which is one of the coolest in pinball); to me that is a LOT of fun and endows the game with good staying-power in a collection. Hope to own one someday, in fact.

I do however agree that (like the music of Ornette Coleman or Arnold Schönberg), the pin is not for everyone, nor was it intended to be.

They are one in the same now a days in most states.

That's exactly it. I have patio style string lights strung all over my gameroom ceiling, and when I play with the dimmer blue light on, it's hard to see WoZ and ACNC. But with the white light on, they're fine.

Rob Zombie is probably the only recently made game that I was sick of playing by the end of ball one. (Granted I haven't played some of the other famous bad games, like Thunderbirds)

It was difficult to see what was going on from the lack of GI and the dark color palette. The art was whatever. The theme does nothing for me, so neither does the music. I'm not the sort of person who will crack up laughing simply because a game yelled a dirty word at me (except Rick and Morty because I relate with that theme and it's a professional comedic voice actor doing it). The super skill shot is stupid and poorly designed. It is more luck than skill. The people who say they can reliably hit it must have the most meticulously adjusted game to get it to be reliable.

I actually don't mind that it's mostly off the shelf parts. But the layout is uninteresting and seems more like randomly placed elements than thought out.

Also Spooky games at the time were poorly built and just felt...a bit off

With the negative out of the way, Spooky has made huge strides in the quality of their games and construction quality. Thank you to the people who invested in Spooky's first couple of games so that we could enjoy their more mature efforts.

I've hit it twice in one game. Yes the switches need to not be mangled but it's not as hard as you think. Put the ball exactly where the "1" insert points on the upper-left sling and you got a good chance of getting all three. Or, hit the "1" and trap the rebound without hitting another switch, now you get to figure out how to get 2 and 3 from a flip (hint: shoot murderers row right post). Fun times

My take on this game is that I love it. It is very different, unconventional, and brutal. I love the call outs (I'm like RZ music and really enjoy his movies). I don't think it can be the only game in your collection, but it is a go to for something out of the ordinary. I just picked one up and and giving it a shop. I am working on addressing the upper playfield inner orbit switch that gets ball munched, and working towards a permanent fix. When I emailed Spooky concerning the switch in question, and if they had a "fix", I was told to wrap it in electrical tape. Not exactly what I was looking to hear. I am going to tweak the GI lighting and add some LED strip lighting to brighten it up, add Titans, and dial it in. Overall, I really like the game. I can see some of the reasons for not liking this game, but for me those items either don't bother me or are not a deal breaker. Looking forward to having RZ for a quite a while.

I was in on #181. It received a good amount of play at our house with other popular titles in the line-up. It never needed any adjustments and played great out of the box. But let me digress and speak of Spooky Pinball themselves. Charlie and Fawzma went above and beyond to provide updated beta code. It was loaded on the machine for Jack Danger to stream the machine for my son Christian's 18th birthday. It was something special he'll always remember. And the update allowed an image upload, so I had one of his smiling face showing on the display. Is RZSI the greatest machine of all time? No, but it doesn't need to be. It is quite simply fun and fast.

I'm under the impression that RZ will continue to fall into the hands of those that will be reluctant to sell the game.

One factor that plagued RZ is that AMH was fetching crazy prices before the release of RZ, and a bunch of flippers/speculators jumped in on RZ that had no love for the theme.

RZ was able to be flipped for a profit early on, then likely left some toward the back of the line bitter about the later drop in value. Many that shouldn't have been in on the game in the first place dumped their games and publicly panned it, and complained about "taking a bath" on it.

Pair this with servo/switch issues, irrational negativity for the theme/art, and at the time, negativity toward Spooky in general, and plenty hopped on the hatred bandwagon.

Early code at noisy shows in family mode couldn't have helped either.

It is indeed a theme you have to enjoy to give a chance, and the only way to properly experience it is at home on adult mode.

Not a flawless game--it could have been much more, but certainly not "that bad."

Greatest callouts in pinball IMO, and having Rob, Sid, and Sheri on them is huge. Also some of the most surprising animations.

The complaints about the crazy sling/pop action baffle me as it's one of the top features that makes it play like no other modern game and stand out in a collection.

All subjective of course, but I'm glad to be on the side that can appreciate the game, and all the mods I created for it were passion projects for the dream theme.

I love my Rob Zombie so much that last night this turned up;

alice1 (resized).jpghe most play.

Honeymoon period is usually over in 1-2 weeks for me, but Rob is still up the front and is still getting the most play.

Lights off. Sometimes only the game I am playing is on. Currently games are in my den which is dark, blinds are always drawn, but most of my playing is at night anyways.

Out of my 10 pins(Soon to be 11) RZ is one of my favorites. Party because I grew up listening to his music. It's a really fast paced game. Very challenging to get into a mode and complete the modes. I added pin stadium lights and it made a big difference. I'm not a big fan of the pin stadium lights but they work with RZ. There is only 300 of these made, I don't see the value decreasing anytime soon. The brutal call outs are the best. Plus the occasional nudity on the screen make it one of a kind.

You must have great eyesight or play games that don’t really need much ambient light help.

I’m only 36, but if I see a GOT Prem, or a WWFRR or LW3 in a completely dark room, I can’t play unless someone turns the lights on.

Well, dung has bragged to me that he is only 33, so that is probably the difference . Even if it’s not, he will come up with something else to make sure whatever point he is trying to prove is correct.

I don't have any issues seeing my Stern/jjp games with lights off/basement....but my got was a Pro not Prem.
My glasses I guess give good eyesight I probably started really having to wear glasses are 34-35ish.

Pro is fine. Prem is a whole other animal.

Gotcha

Looks like I have a groupie following me everywhere I go now. As an old timer I am amazed you can manage to still play games so good for you.

Not at all. I cannot play games with black balls installed. Also find games with led flashers (not stock like say im prem, but aftermarket) painful if you have a direct line of site to them.

AMH I ripped out the pinstadiums that were installed when I got it.

I think you're missing the point that many, myself included, don't find the game fun to play. They are pretty easy to find on the market because many dread the prospect of owning one. I like Rob's tunes and the dark theme, but I find the geometry unforgivable.

What about the geometry do you find unforgivable? Just curious because I think it shoots fine.

There are absolutely people that love the theme and not the game, and I can respect that, but I didn't miss it (just not addressed).

Mine has been reliable since replacing the finicky switches and the one that was trapping the ball in the inner orbit. Shouldn't be too daunting to own once sorted out.

However, I find nothing wrong with the geometry...

Is there a post somewhere about that ball trap switch with pics etc for a novice?

Not sure about pics, but I swapped my problem switches for the rounded Sega style switches.

https://www.pinballlife.com/sternsegadata-east-rollover-switch-assembly-left.html

I don't know what switches they are, where they are or how to get to them, that's my problem.